Automatic sights for archers bows



Dec. 19, 1961 T. D. PENNINGTON AUTOMATIC SIGHTS FOR ARCHERS BOWS Filed April 19, 1961 INVENTOR. THOMAS D PENNINGTON d $:et1?ate Q7 3,013,336 AUTGMATIC SIGHTS FUR ARCI ERS BOWS Thomas D. Pennington, RD. 3, Bridgeton, NJ. Filed Apr. 19, 1961, Ser. No. 104,029 4 Claims. (Cl. 33-46) that degree of elevation and thus make more certainthe 1 accuracy of his shots. The device of the invention also provides means for making allowance for windage, "thus givingwadditional assurance of perfection of marksmanship. The manner in which the device of the invention operates to secure the aforesaid, as well as other advantages hereinafter recited, will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device of the invention, with a portion of the bow indicated in dotted lines;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view upon line 22 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the device'of the invention.

Like numerals ldesignate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

In the drawing, 5 indicates the bow to which the improved sighting device has beenattached. That edge of the bow that is disposed toward the archer is considered the rear edge and its opposite edge is considered the front edge, in this description. The sighting device comprises a base member that is secured against movement with respect to the bow and which memberis of substantially inverted T- shape, and comprises a head plate 6 and an upstanding shank 7. The head plate 6 is of such length that it projects beyond the bow at both edges thereof and its front end is notched at 8 for the reccption of a stout rubber, or other, elastic band 9. This band extends behind the bow to its opposite side where said band is engaged over the head plate 6. Thus, this rubber band draws the inner side of the base member comprising both head plate 6 and upstanding shank 7 firmly and forcibly toward and against the side of the bow. Since the average archer is proud of his bow and since the bows are usually highly polished, I may place a strip 10 of cushioning material, such as felt or leather, between head plate 6 and the bow to prevent scratching of the varnish or other finish of the bow. In like manner, a small piece of cushioning material 10a may be placed behind the upper end portion of shank 7. A strip 11 of adhesive tape binds the upper end of the shank 7 firmly to the bow. This strip of adhesive tape lies just below an outturned lip 7a at the top of shank 7. That portion of head plate 6 which extends beyond the bow at the rear side of the bow carries an arcuate strip 12, the upper and lower ends of which are directed toward and bear against the rear edge of the how. The said ends may be covered with pieces of cushioning and protective material indicated at 13.

The strip 12 has graduating marks thereon. as at 14, that constitute a scale, the graduations of which move past a pointer 15. This pointer is formed by an inturned rear end of a strip 16, preferably metallic, from which strip a pendulum arm 17 extends downwardly. Arm 17 carries a counter weight 18 and it may here be stated that for windage.

3,013,336 I Patented Dec. 19,1961

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the pointer 15 does not move past thegraduations of the scale but that such graduations of the scale move past the pointer to indicate the degree of tip of the bow. The function of the Weight is to keep the strip 16 level' or horizontal and thus said strip may be termed a horizon strip. Head plate 6 carries a forwardly projecting threaded stem 19. A bearing boss 20 projects forwardly from a spacing, washer-like element 21 which element is fixed 'to head plate 6. The horizon striplti has pivotal en- 10 gagement with the head plate by having the boss 20 mounted in an opening of the strip 16. A manually operable binding nut 22 is engaged with threaded stem'19 and serves when screwed up to bind the strip 16 and head plate 6 against movement with respect to each other. A retaining lock nut 23 is screwed upon the threaded stern outwardly of the binding nut.

That end of the strip 16 opposite the pointer 15 (FIG. 3) carries a counter weight 24 to nicely balance strip 16 so that said strip will seek a horizontal position under the action of the weight, when said strip is left free to move.

A windage correcting indicator which may consist ofa stiff wire 25 that is movable endwise through the counterweight, has a ball 26 or other readily visible element on an end thereof and by shifting this wire endwise the sight constituted by the ball 'may be adjusted to compensate Any suitable shape of sight may be substituted for the ball at the outer end of strip 16. Thus this strip, which it will be seen 'is suificiently' elongated to extend from a point rearwardly of the bow to a point well in advance thereof has the sighting elements 15 and 26 at its opposite ends. Thus this strip 16 is caused to function as a two part sight, one part comprising pointer 15, to indicate the degree of tip of the bow in a vertical plane, and the other comprising the elongated'strip 16 by to direct the arrow upwardly or above the horizontal,

and'it registers with'the graduations belowthe'zero point when'the' bow is tipped forwardly'when 'shooting'down hill.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the v 3 device illustrated comprises, in its broadest aspects a two part structure, to wit: (1) a supporting element and means for securing the same immovably upon a bow to be tipped therewith; and (2) a weight actuated element which is held in horizontal position by the action of gravity, the said two parts complementally carrying indicating means,

such as the scale and pointer, by which the degree of inclination of the bow with respect to the weight controlled part, may be indicated.

The present device provides two ways by which its advantages may be secured. An archer may, by trial and error, determine that at 40 yards the pointer 15 should register say 10 degrees upon the scale and he may thereafter watch the pointer and scale and, with nut 22 loose, shoot when the pointer registers 10 degrees upon the scale. Or he may use the device to secure an adjustable and settable sight by noting during trial and error tests that pointer 15 registers 10 degrees upon the scale when perfect shots are had. He can then lower the bow, move the pointer manually to where it registers 10 degrees upon ing with the bow tipped rearwardly 10 degrees which is what is desired. It will be seen that the relation of the parts is such that the archer can see the registration of pointer 15 on the scale, and also the target with the hearing of the sight 26 thereon, at one and the same time. Thus he can aim the arrow laterally into alignment with the target by use of the sighting means provided by strip 16 and sight 26 and then with nut 22 loose let the ar row fly when the scale indicates that degree of tilt which will give the desired trajectory.

ther types of construction may suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction disclosed but that it includes within its purview whatever changes fairly fall within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A sighting attachment for bows consisting of means for lateral sighting upon a distant target to align the shot with the target and means disposed within the vision of the archer for indicating the degree of tilt of the bow in a vertical plane, whereby to secure a desired trajectory, said sighting attachment comprising a base member, means for binding said base member against the side face of a how, an arcuate member having its outer face graduated to constitute an arcuate scale, said arcuate member being carried by the base member and extending inwardly from the base member and lying immediately in the rear of the rear edge of the how, a sighting structure pivoted upon the base member at a point substantially concentric with the arcuate face of the arcuate scale, said sighting structure carrying a pointer which projects over and coacts with the arcuate scale to indicate the degree of tip of the bow, means for weighting the sighting structure to cause said pointer to gravitally seek a zero point upon the scale and a position that is in horizontal alignment with the pivotal point of the sighting structure upon the base member, said sighting structure also comprising a forward part which extends Well in advance of the front edge of the bow and a sight constituting means secured to and extending transversely from the front end of said forward part and which sight constituting means is of a length to project beyond the opposite side of the bow whereby to be disposed in the line of vision of an archer engaged in simultaneously reading the indication of the pointer upon the tilt indicating arcuate scale.

2. A combined tilt indicaitng and lateral sighting means for archers bows comprising in combination with a bow, a base member, means for binding the inner face of the base member securely against the side of the bow, an

arcuate scale carrying element projecting inwardly from the rear end of the base member and supported from the base member to lie rearwardly of and close to said how, an elongated sighting element pivoted upon the base member at a point concentric with the arcuate scale, gravity actuated means carried by the sighting element disposed to move the sighting element to a horizontal position, a pointer upon the rear end of the sighting element which projects over and coacts with the arcuate scale, said scale having a zero point with which said pointer registers when the elongated sighting element occupies a substantially horizontal position, said sighting element being of a length to extend forwardly beyond the bow, and a sight forming element mounted upon the forward end of said sighting element.

3. A structure as recited in claim 2 wherein the sight forming element extends laterally from said sighting element across the thickness of the bow to a point beyond that side of the bow against which the inner face of the base member is bound.

4. A combined tilt indicating and lateral sighting means for archers bows comprising in combination with a bow, a base member, means for binding the inner face of the base member securely against the side of the bow, an arcuate scale carrying element projecting inwardly from the rear end of the base member and supported from the base member to lie rearwardly of and close to said how, an elongated sighting element pivoted upon the base member at a point concentric with the arcuate scale, gravity actuated means carried by the sighting element disposed to move the sighting element to a horizontal position, a pointer upon the rear end of the sighting element which projects over and coacts with the arcuate scale, said scale having a zero point with which said pointer registers when the elongated sighting element occupies a substan' tially horizontal position, said zero point being located midway of the length of the arcuate scale with graduations located both above and below said zero point, whereby to indicate the degree of tip of the bow both above and below the horizontal and binding means for binding the sighting element against movement with respect to the base member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 37,076 Long Dec. 2, 1862 2,045,631 Cavender June 30, 1936 2,378,391 Brading June 19, 1945 2,669,023 Pizzuti Feb. 16, 1954 2,925,656 Genovese Feb. 23, 1960 

